


Trust Exercies

by makoredeyes



Category: Titanfall
Genre: Gen, M/M, Random & Short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-10-17 02:39:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10584693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makoredeyes/pseuds/makoredeyes
Summary: A general catchall for any short stories I come up with, featuring the B(romance) that is Jack Cooper and BT-7274. Rating, level of romance, settings will vary.#1: "Unworthy" - Gen; Fits Cannon(ish);  Jack isn't handling his promotion as well as BT had hoped.#2: "Privacy Settings" - Gen;  post-cannon;  Jack and BT are inseparable to a fault. They absolutely do not care what anyone else thinks of this.#3: "Static": - Gen; Fits Cannon;   Ok. He could do this. This would work.  Jack's first deployment without BT.#4: "Wet" - M/M  NSFW:  BT is dirty.#5: "Escape Route" - G: Blisk manages to corner BT and Jack in a fight. Things don't go as expected. *SHORT/DRABBLE*#6: "Rumors" -G: Hinted J/BT : “I don’t think it’s anyone’s business except ours.” BT said sternly.#7: "In Memorandum" -PG/ Gen: BT and Jack have a heart-to-heart of sorts.





	1. Unworthy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack isn't handling his promotion as well as BT had hoped.

                Jack spent his first evening as a Pilot sitting with his back against a tree, and his knees pulled tightly against his chest.  He was exhausted, but unable to sleep, or even rest. He trembled, and his teeth chattered faintly. It had been a busy day.

                “Cooper…are you alright?” BT’s voice was soft. He knew the answer already. Jack drew in a little more tightly.  It was a dark, starless night. A high overcast blocked all light from the heavens, and they were deep in the wilderness of Typhon.  The glow from the Titan’s optics was dim, his biolights dimmed relative to the ambient light.  Jack closed his eyes as the glow of that gaze burned into his retinas. This time yesterday…. He shivered.  War was full of surprises, but he had never imagined himself here.

                “Alright?” His voice cracked a little, and he hugged himself a bit harder, until the joints in his knees hurt and he had trouble drawing a full breath. “Well, putting it in perspective, I’m still alive…I’m mostly uninjured… sort’a. You’re still in one piece.  That qualifies, right BT?” He was not alright.

                “And yet…?” BT queried, knowing. Jack looked away.  He couldn’t take the soul-piercing stare right now.  He could feel the Neural Link strengthening gradually. He knew, given time, there would be very little he would need to tell the Titan, that though the link, he would know it as Jack did.  Already, it seemed, the bond was forming, even after only one day.  Jack’s chest drew tight.

                “And yet…” He swallowed against the lump forming in his throat. “I…” He shook himself. “Look, I’m just a little freaked out by all that’s happened.” He risked a glance at the Titan, saw that he was watching him, optical array tilted quizzically. BT blinked at him and then, quite abruptly, stood from his relaxed crouch and took the single step it took to be standing over Jack.  BT settled on his haunches, leaning over the former Rifleman somewhat.  Having forty tons of war machine looming over him should have been intimidating, but somehow, Jack felt a little better.

                “This is understandable,” BT conceded. “Please remember that I will do everything within my considerable power to keep you from harm.” BT went on. “We will get through this.”  Jack snorted out a soft laugh, shivering again. It was a cold night, but BT’s words were warming.

                “Aww BT, you know I trust you.  I wouldn’t have made it long enough to have even met you if you hadn’t saved me.” Truthfully, Jack wasn’t preoccupied by whether he lived or died.   Much like BT, he only wanted to uphold the mission.  “I just…” He glanced back up at the Titan, meeting BT’s passive gaze, and carefully scooted up to lean against one of BT’s ankles instead of the tree.  BT did not protest.  “…Honestly? You really want to know?”

                “Of course,” BT did not hesitate at all to respond. This surprised Jack and it must have shown on his face. “Ensuring your wellbeing is one of my primary functions.” BT explained.  “Understanding, and perhaps even resolving, your troubles is pivotal.  Furthermore,” BT reached down, gently curling his hand around Jack’s chest and lifting him closer.  “I reserve the right to be interested in learning more about a friend.”

                For a moment, Jack just stared back at BT, dumbfounded. At last, he let out a short laugh.

                “Huh!  You’re sure something else, BT.” He wiggled up out of BT’s careful grip to sit in the crook of the Titan’s elbow.  A certain amount of ambient heat radiated from the chassis, soothing his chills.  He heaved a sigh. “Well… I guess I’m just overwhelmed.” BT blinked patiently at him, listening. “This whole thing…” He gestured widely with one hand. “We’re on this insane mission, and here I am, just yesterday, at rock bottom and only dreaming of what it would be like to pilot…” He trailed off.  He didn’t want to refer to BT in the third person.  Like he wasn’t there, because he very much, truly was. Jack shrugged away the thought. “I’m not worthy, BT.” He concluded instead. “I’m not in any way qualified for this kind of honor – to be with you.  It’s not right. Someone else should be here. Someone you don’t have to save every three minutes.”

                “And yet, here we are.” BT broke in.  His voice was low, almost gentle. Jack had not realized he was capable of modulating the tone, until this very conversation. “For someone who claims to be unworthy, you have certainly risen to the task, well beyond expectation.” BT shifted, the canopy opening in front of Jack.  He watched BT reach within himself and withdraw Tai’s – Jack’s helmet, and took it with reluctant hands as it was handed to him.  After a pause, he put it on and clambered into the cockpit. As he settled, a wave of warmth spilled over him, making his knuckles tingle and his breath hitch. Right behind it, serenity settled into his heart.  It was not his, but a special delivery from BT through their strengthening Link.  He sagged in his seat, overcome by it. “Know, Jack Cooper, that you are truly doing well.  Captain Lastimosa deemed you worthy, or he would not have taken the effort to mentor you, nor sacrifice himself so that you should live.”  Tears pricked at Jack’s eyes, and he let out a shuddering breath as BT continued to steadily calm Jack’s nerves, one cell at a time.  “I suspect he would be tremendously proud of you.”  Jack closed his eyes, finally grasping onto BT’s calm and accepting it for himself.

                “Thanks, BT.” He said at last. BT rumbled softly.

                “You are very welcome, Pilot.”

 

 


	2. Privacy Settings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and BT are inseparable to a fault. They absolutely do not care what   
> anyone else thinks of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might sorta fit into The Human Condition series headcannon, but not strictly so.

                “Cooper, you _do_ realize it’s not normal for a Titan to follow its pilot _everywhere_ , right?”

                Jack rolled his eyes and shrugged at his fellow soldier.

                “We’ve been through a lot,” He said, flippant. “He gets separation anxieties.”

                “ _Don’t you mean ‘we’?”_ BT’s voice rumbled in through an earpiece in Jack’s right ear. He wore it constantly, always ready for BT’s signal, even…

                “Even to the _showers_ , Cooper?”

                Even to the showers. Jack didn’t care what anyone else thought of it. BT was right, it wasn’t the Titan who suffered separation anxiety, but Jack.  He had anticipated the occasional off comment about it.

                “Hey,” He said, throwing a hand up. “If you want to go out there and break his robot heart by sending him away, it’s on you.”   BT’s glowing blue optic could just be seen from over the high privacy walls of the open air showers adjacent to the barracks. “He’s not hurting anyone.”  The man at the faucet beside him wrinkled his nose.

                “Yeah…but your junk is out ‘n everything.”

                Jack laughed.  There were at least twenty men, in the communal showers, with, as he was told ‘their junk out.’ He didn’t have time for homophobes.

                “So’s yours.” He pointed out. “Look.  That guy’s optical array can see through a meter of concrete, not to mention through our clothes. He can _always_ see our junk, and our bones, and our beating hearts too, and he doesn’t give a single rat’s ass about any of it.” He turned away, dunking his head briefly under the shower for a rinse. “Besides, why do you care?” He emerged, running his hands through his hair to push some of the water away. “Jealous?”

                The other man huffed.

                “Damn! Way to make it weird, Coop!” He complained. Someone nearby laughed.

                “Aww, give him a break, Willard! The locals love getting to meet a friendly Titan. It’s good PR!”

                “Well the ‘Good PR’ is blocking the door!” Someone else groused. Jack heaved a defeated sigh, throwing aside his washcloth and slapping the tap off.  He touched his earpiece to address BT.

                “Hey Buddy, mind going for a walk? I’ll come find you in a few minutes once I’m dried off.”

                “ _Illogical,”_ BT’s voice rang through Jack’s ear, but he saw the Titan start to move away. “ _My tracking capabilities are far superior to yours, so I should be finding you.”_  Jack laughed a little, bemused.

                “BT, you’re two meters taller than any rock, plant, or building within fifteen miles of here. Unless you either go _really_ fast, or dig a hole to intentionally hide yourself in, I’m pretty sure I won’t have a problem finding you.” Even as he spoke, however, Jack found himself dressing a little more quickly than necessary.

                “ _Challenge accepted, Pilot.”_ BT rumbled smugly, confirming Jack’s unconscious fear. “ _Tag. You’re it.”_ With that, BT could be seen to turn suddenly and dash out of sight, thunderous footsteps fading quickly. Jack’s boots dropped from his hands as he stared after the retreating Titan in shock. Eyes all around him had turned his way, curious.

                “My Titan just challenged me to a game of Hide and Seek,” he explained, dumbfounded. With that, he stuffed his boots on and ran for the door.

 

                Jack burst through the barracks gate, shirt askew as he yanked it over his still-wet head. He pivoted, glancing all around. BT was nowhere to be seen.

                _How the HELL did he do that?!_ Jack thought. BT clearly felt Jack’s bewilderment through their Neural Link, and he commed Jack once more.

                “ _You’re supposed to count to ten.”_ He observed, and Jack snorted, not pausing to wonder how a Titan knew about the rules of Tag.

                “Fuck that, you had your head start, asshole!” Jack replied. A burst of static came through the comm – a robotic version of a raspberry that BT had recently adopted.  The Titan was becoming more and more autonomous, and had developed numerous new human-like traits. This apparent sense of playfulness appeared to be the newest.

                Jack dashed over to where he had parked his motorbike – an old run-down ex-military frame exported from Earth decades ago – and kicked it over before he had even seated himself.  BT had to run a long way to find shelter big enough to conceal his massive body.  The planet Harmony possessed uncannily flat terrain and the locals didn’t seem to appreciate the concept of multi-level buildings. Jack didn’t think BT was equipped to dig holes. Hopefully. Clever though BT was, if he was quick about it, he shouldn’t have a hard time locating the Titan.

                He raced out of the small base and onto the surrounding Plains and stopped, closing his eyes.  He could always feel his connection to BT.  He could sense the Titans proximity, and even…moods? He swore he could feel a delighted sort of mirth, but surely it was a figment of his imagination.

                _”I feel what you feel,”_ BT purred. He had noticed Jack’s attention on him.  Jack smirked, eyes catching on a patch of scraggly trees rising up over the tall grass in the not-too-far distance.  He zoomed through the grass on his bike in that direction, and began to notice large patches of flattened grass.

                _Gotcha!_ He thought, and poured on the gas, tearing through the fields, fully fixated on the grove ahead.

                A hundred meters shy of the first trees, a dark figure leapt out of the grass to his right, and barreled straight into him. A giant hand curled around his torso, nimbly plucking him from the bike, which traveled several more meters without him before toppling.  He soared through the air with this giant metallic shadow, and then BT was stuffing Jack into his cockpit even as he tumbled, rolling twice with the momentum of his ambush, before coming to a stop on his pedes.

                Inside the cockpit, Jack was howling with laughter, giddy from the rush and the surprise.  BT was positively glowing with satisfaction, and the sense of joy and exhilaration flooded both man and machine.  As BT finally drew to a stop, Jack pushed open the canopy and leapt out, carefree with the knowledge that BT would catch him. He was not disappointed, and thusly set down carefully.  He was still giggling a little.

                “Pretty sure that’s not how the game works, BT.” Jack said with a grin.  BT straightened up, optic laser-bright.

                “I make the rules. That is exactly how my game works.” He declared. Oh, did BT sound smug about it.

                “So you call that a success, then, do you?”

                “Absolutely.”


	3. Static

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok. He could do this. This would work. He could handle himself just fine as he was. He certainly had much more experience as a Rifleman than he did a Pilot, and besides…

                Jack hopped down off the transport with his fellow soldiers, rifle in hand, and a sigh caught in his chest. 

                Ok. He could do this. This would work.

It had been a long leave, after the battle at Typhon.  Jack had some… recovering to do.

                In the not too-far distance, gunfire rang, and Jack and his cohorts scattered for cover. He cocked the barrel, scanning his surroundings carefully.  There was smoke in the air. His eyes stung.

He had only been with BT-7274 for 18 short hours…not even a full day, but the influence the Titan had on him would last the remainder of Jack’s lifetime, that much he was certain of.

                In the back of his mind, there was a fuzz, like static, where the Neural Link with BT had been.  It was uncomfortable the way a persistent itch was, and somewhat distracting.  He canted his head, trying to stretch his neck as if that would help.  It was getting worse, over the last couple of days, but he didn’t dare tell Medical, lest he be grounded again.

                “Targets, Two-O-Clock!” someone shouted, and Jack crouched down to take aim as the first IMC soldiers came into sight.

                _“Three minutes, Cooper.”_ Commander Brigg’s dulcet voice rang tinny through his helmet.  Jack let out the sigh he’d been holding in.  They had built him a new Titan, apparently, but there had been some delay – an issue during the pre-launch check.  Jack had elected to go ahead on foot.

                He squeezed the trigger, and in the distance, an IMC grunt fell in silence.

                He didn’t mind the delay. He could handle himself just fine as he was. He certainly had much more experience as a Rifleman than he did a Pilot, and besides…

                He cringed.  The mental static was getting strong enough to become more than a nuisance.

…besides. He didn’t really want another Titan. Not after…

                “COOP! CHECK SIX!”

                Jack swiveled on his toes, maintaining his crouch as he turned a full one-eighty, and dodged into a roll just in time to miss being shot at fairly close range by a soldier who’d gotten the drop on him. He carried his momentum through the roll back to his feet, and in two steps had connected his fist with the other man’s face in a devastating blow that leveled the enemy immediately.  He glanced up just in time to see a trio of Stalkers notice him and swore.  Gunfire pelted the earth at his feet and he darted backwards, using his jumpkit to give himself some extra distance, and lobbed a grenade through the rising smoke and dust.  A fantastic bang sounded, making his ears ring.

                Or maybe that was just the static from the busted Link.  Jack rubbed his eyes, and barely dodged another salvo of gunfire.  Dashing for cover, he reloaded and huffed a long breath, steeling himself.

                _Focus, asshole!_ He thought.  He had gotten used to having an extra set of eyes watching his back, he realized.  He licked his too-dry lips. His Titan was on its way; he would be fine. He just had to keep his shit together a little longer.  Another deafening bang clapped just on the other side of the large boulder he’d hidden behind, and then a second sounded in rapid succession.  Under the veil of falling dust and gravel, he fled again, taking cover behind a thick chunk of durasteel plating.  There was battle noise everywhere, and an awful lot of shouting, but he couldn’t assess which side it was coming from.

                “Briggs!” He barked into the Comm. Things were getting hairy and Jack was feeling horribly exposed…

                _“Thirty seconds! Hang in there, Coop!”_   He growled.  Thirty seconds might as well be thirty years if he gets blown up by a grenade.  Suddenly, the noise closest to him stopped, and there was a heavy thud. Not heavy enough to be a Titan.  A mechanical whine sounded, and then clicking. Jack dared to poke his head around the hunk of metal.

                “SHITFUCK!”  A Reaper stood not twenty feet away, and had just deployed a half dozen Tick Mines.  Jack made a break for it, lobbing another grenade over his shoulder, but it bounced clear of his foes, ineffective.  Blue streaks from the Reaper’s plasma cannons ripped by his shoulders, and Jack leapt for a high outcropping, trying to gain some ground. He turned on his perch, and was able to safely set off a chain reaction with the Ticks, but the Reaper was still spewing plasma at him.

                “ _Okay Cooper, your Titan is ready. Prepare for Titanfall!”_    Cloaking, Jack leapt from the rocky face and lunged for fresh cover. It would be several seconds before his new Titan landed.  Overhead, there was the telltale crack of reentry, but peering into the sun, Jack could not yet discern anything.  He ducked back, under fire again as the Reaper had finally relocated him.  He hit the deck, buried in peat and gravel and then there was a colossal boom like thunder and then….silence.

                Carefully, Jack sat up and took a peek over the pile of rubble he had been hiding behind. 

                The Reaper had, happily, broken the Vanguard’s fall, and was now in pieces for a ten-meter radius.  The Titan had its back to Jack, and was in a low crouch, already firing off volleys of rockets wholesale.  Within moments, Jack’s corner of the battlefield was significantly quieter. Jack stood, snorting softly as he noticed this new Vanguard. Its paint matched BT’s.  The sight was bittersweet, and his heart ached a little. The static in his mind was worse than ever, and he coughed, rubbing his face vigorously trying to subdue the sensation.

At last, the Titan turned to face him.  Jack’s jaw dropped.  

 _BT-7274_.

The serial number was plastered all over the chassis identifying the Titan.  Something like rage boiled up into Jack’s chest.

“Ok, this isn’t funny guys.” He growled into the comm, breathing fire.  The white noise in his mind was so loud it was overtaking the sound of his own voice.  Somewhere nearby an explosion made Jack flinch, but his gaze was locked on the numbers painted across the massive metal thigh in front of him.

“Hello, Jack.” The voice, oh so familiar, washed away the static and Jack’s head cleared. “Long time no see, my friend.”

Jack sat down abruptly.

“On your feet, Pilot. We have work to do,” This BT-impersonator said, holding a hand out. “And we have a Neural-Link to reestablish.”

Jack stared at the enormous hand, unable to comprehend what he was experiencing.

“I…”

Another loud blast shattered the relative silence, and the Titan edged a little closer to Jack, crouching lower, even as it glanced over its shoulder to assess the progression of the battle behind it. It was noticeably anxious, and Jack staggered back to his feet, but swayed where he stood.  Nearby, gunshots were drawing dangerously close again.

“Please embark when –“  The Titan was cut off by another explosion, close enough to send gravel raining down on them both this time. “-Oh nevermind.”  Jack let out a little scream as the Titan simply grabbed him around the middle, hoisting him up and stuffing him into the cockpit. “Protocol 2: Link to Pilot.”

“WAIT!” Jack screamed the word, tensing in the seat. 

“Trust me, Jack.”  The cockpit was dark, but Jack could feel the Titan moving, returning fire to some external enemy he couldn’t see yet.

“Who are you?” Jack cried. He hadn’t noticed that the noise in his mind had stopped completely, that the hole where the link with BT had been was slowly closing up.

“BT-7274, returning to active duty to assigned Pilot Jack Cooper of the Marauder Corps.”

“It’s really you…?” Jack whispered. 

“Yes.”

                “No. That’s impossible. I saw you…” He couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

                “Complete the link, Jack. You’ll know.  _Trust me._ ” The Titan said softly.  Jack swallowed nervously. At length, he nodded.

                “Yeah… Okay.”  He figured he didn’t have anything to lose, and maybe letting this imposter-fantasy become real would be OK after all.

                “Area secure. Establishing Neural Link.”

                Jack’s world went white, and he let loose a choked-off scream as BT’s fortress-like will barraged him, searing clean through his mind and piercing his soul only to settle right where it belonged. The gap filled, and the static cleared.  He reeled from the none-too-gentle link, but the roiling waters of Jack’s fractured mind had suddenly turned placid. Jack sighed, sinking into his seat in relief.  BT surrounded him with unmistakable certainty.

                “Oh…” Jack let out a long, shuddering breath. “It’s good to have you back, Buddy.”

                “It’s good to be back.” BT said softly.

                 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one goes to Kieran (SunGryphon) who was kind enough to issue me a writing prompt when I came begging for one. Of course, I was given two (Jack's first deployment without BT, and BT and Jack's first deployment reunited) and I'm an asshole so I smushed them together. Oops. 
> 
> MMMMIIIIIGHT keep going on this later??? 
> 
> Also! Message me if you have any prompts/requests. I can't make any promises - I'm not a genie, but I love to write, and I suck at coming up with ideas on my own so have at it. :)


	4. Wet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BT is dirty and needs a bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one  
> A: gets naughty so if you're not into overt BT/Jack ships, you might skip this one.  
> B: Assumes a few important things: BT and Jack have an established relationship. BT is capable of feelings, and has developed significantly in personality. He's also figured out how to facilitate sense of touch.

                BT shuddered, his struts rattling, as a blast of cold water struck his chestplate.  It was uncomfortable, and vaguely ticklish.  He contemplated canceling the signals from his amplified sensornet, but then there was a warm hand on him; a tiny, bright point of heat against cool damp metal and the dichotomy was delightful.   From where he hung from a handhold at BT’s side, Jack handed the Titan the hose.  BT obediently took it, pinching the flow through the rubber tubing off with his thumb and forefinger, and watched as Jack lathered up a large sponge.  Cold, squishy, and frothing, the thing tickled like hell and BT startled from it.

                “Oh!” The Titan didn’t often blurt things out by accident, but this one got him. Embarrassing though it was, Jack’s low, sweet chuckle was rewarding enough to soothe him.

                “Sorry, Buddy. Does it tickle?” Jack said, sounding significantly more amused than sympathetic.  BT huffed through his vents.

                “Indeed.” He paused. “It’s cold, as well.”  Today, the sun was out and the beautiful spring morning was too inviting to pass up.  He and Jack had decided a good detailing was in order.   The ambient temperature was warm enough, but the water was pulled from deep underground, and it was significantly cooler than either party had expected.

                This wasn’t BT’s first bath time, but he usually received a simple pressure-wash only, and it hadn’t been until very recently that he had been able to unlock the full capabilities of his sensornet which now delivered significantly more accurate readings.  Pressure, temperature, and texture were all still enjoyably novel to the Titan. 

                                “Aww, maybe the sun will heat up the hose and warm the water soon,” Jack said around a chuckle.  “If it makes you feel any better, it’s cold to me, too.”  He continued to scrub at BT in wide, arcing circles.  “I bet your sensors will work a lot better once they’re not crusted in grime, though.”

                BT made a vague noise of acknowledgement, and examined the hose he still held delicately.  At his side, a bucket thunked against his chassis where it hung from a grappling rung as Jack went back for more soap. 

                The pilot’s next pass went up under the canopy entry and into the structural support lattices at BT’s middle. The tightly interlocking plates there were unarmored to allow flexibility and notably more sensitive for their relative delicacy.  A burst of static erupted from BT’s vocalizer, and he staggered back a quarter-step, causing the bucket to slosh dangerously against his side.

                “Perhaps start with the armor, Jack.” BT suggested tensely.

                Jack openly laughed, but complied, climbing up to sit atop BT and continue his progress there.

                “We’re going to have to get the rest sooner or later, BT.  You’ve got carbon buildups forming,” Jack observed.  “The only other option is the scrub brush…”  
                “ _No_ brush,” BT insisted.  The sponge felt weird, but the brush was downright maddening.

                “Okay! Okay, I get it… No brush!” He laughed the words out, entirely too entertained by BT’s discomfort.  BT grumbled softly to himself, but fell into a comfortable silence in short order.   From where he knelt atop BT’s thruster, the Pilot could leverage himself into his scrubbing, and the gentle pressure became much more pleasurable for the Titan.  “Hey, BT, rinse your side off or the soap will dry,” Jack said absently after a few minutes of scrubbing quietly.  His voice was somewhat winded from the effort he was putting into washing BT.   He was making the slow crawl across the top of the Titan from one shoulder to the other, his knees clunking softly against the armor plating.  BT carefully loosened his grip on the hose, jerking slightly in surprise as the water, now under significant pressure, erupted violently across BT’s front.  It was not any warmer and BT shuddered again.  Jack’s jovial guffaws echoed across the otherwise empty ramp.

                BT’s optic narrowed dangerously as he pinched the hose shut again.  He slowly turned his auxiliary camera towards Jack, analyzing his position.  The man’s head was down, his shoulders shaking as he continued to laugh to himself, and BT eyed the hose between his fingers once more.   Jack’s sleeves and pants were somewhat damp, but the rest of him had remained dry.  He was too busy with his own mirth to notice BT’s own devilish mood through their Link until he caught BT’s hand, now at eye-level, a split second too late.

                “Wha-AAAAAAH!”

                BT released the pressure on the hose and aimed a new geyser right at Jack’s chest, instantly drenching him.  The shout the man let loose was sincere, and significantly higher pitched than his usual tone.  BT chuffed to himself, pleased with the results of his prank.

                “Serves you right for laughing at me,” he said.  Jack swore at him, and then an extra frothy-soggy sponge was slapped down over the top of BT’s sensor array, making his head jerk slightly with the force of the impact.  Soap suds oozed over the top of the SERE kit and down the back side around the actuators.  BT shook himself roughly against the weird sensation. “Ugh!” 

                Jack cackled, even as he vaulted off of BT’s topside to scamper down his side, scrubbing furiously as he went, but also occasionally jabbing the sponge into spots he guessed would be sensitive.  BT twisted, trying to snatch Jack off of him to no avail, letting out the occasional electronic bleat whenever Jack found a particularly ticklish spot. 

                Just as Jack’s feet finally touched the ground, BT changed tactic.  He plucked the bucket from his side and swiveled, deftly dumping the entire bucket, soapy water and all, cleanly over Jack’s head.  The frothy deluge obscured Cooper’s entire head and shoulders momentarily and BT took care to document the decidedly creative stream of profanity that emerged, muffled, from under the bucket now resting over the fuming pilot’s head.   The Titan stooped down, and caught up Jack in one hand, pinning the Pilot’s hands in his grip.  Jack let out a yelp, his vision still obscured by the bucket, as he was hoisted off his feet.

                “You’re coming with me,” BT growled, and, pinging a MARVN to shut off the water and clean up after them, BT strode off away from base, Jack howling in outrage.

 

                BT marched away from base for several minutes until he found a sheltered knoll, just out of view of… specifically, everything.  He plucked the bucket off of Jack with his free hand, watching as the man blinked rapidly, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the light change. The Pilot was glaring dangerously, but the effect was diminished by the glittering smile hiding in his dark eyes.  BT carefully set him back on his feet, crouching down to better see him as he did so.

                “I prefer how your clothes fit you, this way.” BT said, and enjoyed feeling the jolt that went through the Pilot at his words.  Jack’s lightweight tee clung to every contour in a way that concealed nothing, and might have even accentuated his musculature somewhat.  BT made no effort to conceal it as he shamelessly documented the sight, optics shuttering audibly as he captured several bursts of still images.  Jack’s ears were turning pink from the attention, and BT leant out, looming over the man, crouching low enough that he had to brace himself with one hand.  He was rewarded with Jack’s pupils growing impressively large, betraying the man’s interest.

                BT reached out with his free hand, and very carefully gripped the hem of Jack’s sopping shirt between his thumb and forefinger.  He paused, calculating the gesture, and then lifted his hand, effectively peeling the soaked fabric away from Jack’s torso.  Jack lifted his arms, allowing BT to pull the shirt all the way over his head and toss it aside.  

                Jack stood still, shivering minutely under BT’s intense stare.  BT watched gooseflesh rise up on the human’s arms, even as his chest grew pink with heat.  Through the Neural Link, he could feel Jack’s arousal simmering.  BT curled his fingers around Jack’s back, drawing him closer and pressing the pad of his thumb against the man’s bare belly, gently dragging it up over his chest, and back down to his thighs. He enjoyed the hot, bare skin against his sensors, and savored that moment where Jack’s irises vanished behind fluttering eyelids as he closed his eyes in pleasure.  He took care to activate a background program to ensure every moment was recorded for later access.

                Maybe one day he would play back some of his recordings for Jack.  The thought sent a dirty little thrill through BT, the surge resonating through the Link and causing Jack to lean back on his heels slightly, face flushing dramatically.  BT pressed his thumb over Jack’s hips a little more firmly, and was rewarded with a sharp gasp.  Jack’s eyes snapped back open, a heated stare fixating on BT.   The Titan slid his thumb back upwards until its squared tip rested under Jack’s chin gently. Jack leaned into the caress, heaving in a long breath.  He gazed up at BT for a long moment, before pulling away slightly. BT let him step back, and watched, amused, as Jack struggled to strip out of soggy jeans that were clearly clinging in all the wrong ways. Jack swore softly, aware that the intimate moment had been broken.  He was eventually freed, and kicked the mess to the side savagely. He turned back to BT, bare, unabashed, and tremendously aroused. BT curled his fingers, brushing his knuckles down the human’s back, delighting in the full-body shiver the touch elicited.

                Jack stepped forward and carefully wrapped his arms around BT’s sensor array, curling his hands into the myriad of sensitive cabling and delicate gimbals there.  BT let out a pleased rumble, lowering his gaze so that he could allow the Pilot better access.   The cold, soapy water there hadn’t been good, but Jack’s hands were heavenly as warm fingertips smoothed over cool metal.   BT could feel static building there, crackling over wires and sending delightful shocks of pleasure through his sensors. Jack canted his body to one side, pressing his body against BT’s chassis in a streak of heat that made his auxiliary processors trip into standby mode as BT directed more and more of his attention on the man so deliciously pressed against him.  He rewarded Jack with a low chirr of delight when warm lips pressed sweetly against the side of his optical array.   Jack answered with an affectionate chuckle of his own.

                Through the Link, BT could feel Jack settling into an amorous haze that was surprisingly more affectionate than lusty.  The arousal hadn’t faded, but the feverishness had, and what lay in its wake was undiluted love unlike anything BT thought could exist.  He soaked it in, turning it over and over in his processor, and then returning it, pouring it into Jack’s mind as the man peppered his chassis, ever lower, with kisses like so many raindrops.  Lowering into a crouch, Jack had vanished from BT’s field of vision, but he remained still, waiting.  The kisses continued, and then the hot, soft skin of Jack’s palms were pressed against the delicate abdominal plating under BT’s cockpit, and nimble fingers were digging into the gaps between the plates and BT shuddered, his armor rattling against his frame and he could hear Jack make a pleased sound as he redoubled his efforts.  Static was building up again and BT pressed a palm to Jack’s back, curling one finger at a time in to press against his chest, belly, and groin in careful succession.  Jack pressed into BT's touch, unabashed to grind his arousal against the finger pressed into him, and BT was able to shift just enough that he could visually acquire Jack using his aux cam.  Jack must have heard the motor that turned it his way, because he turned a lewd smirk right up into the camera.  BT issued a rare chuckle, but it cut off into a squelch as Jack tugged a cable and _oh goodness_.

                “Jack! Please…whatever you just did… do it again,” BT let the words come out as a moan and could feel the immediate effect they had on Jack.  Jack obliged him, and BT carefully packaged the surge of pleasure he experienced and sent it straight back to Jack, heard the man answer with a moan of his own.  The grinding against BT’s finger was gradually accelerating into much more carnal thrusting, and Jack’s arms were wound around the external plating at BT’s middle section to delve as deep as he could reach, and he had found the Titan’s center-of-gravity muscle cabling and was dragging his fingernails over the thick lines and BT’s video feed flickered briefly as more static arced up Jack’s arms and leapt into BT’s sensor array.   “Don’t… Don’t stop, Jack…” BT whispered, and he hunkered ever lower, giving the man the best access to his body that he could, and Jack reached deep, and pulled _hard_ and BT wondered if he experienced his first taste of insanity in that moment as the sensation utterly overwhelmed his every process and somewhere beneath him Jack had emitted a loud, wanton howl of pleasure that somehow described perfectly what BT was experiencing himself and _of course_ Jack was too and then…

                BT issued an electronic cough, and rather abashedly initiated a full reboot of his optical relays.  Luckily, he had locked the arm supporting himself, and had not toppled, but he had clearly overloaded every system in the deck, because the hand he had been fondling Jack with had fallen limp to the ground between his feet.   Jack was sitting within BT’s slack palm, grinning cheekily up at BT when his vision had finally recalibrated.  BT blinked down at him, noticing the euphoric glow emanating from the human through their link, as well as a sizable mess across his fingertips, and was certain that the Pilot had enjoyed that every bit as much as BT had.  Jack’s smirk turned crooked, his eyes glittering.

                “Took ya long enough.  Welcome back, Buddy.”

                BT cleared his vents, expelling the buildup of hot air their activities had created.  He straightened up, lifting Jack with him and collected the Pilot’s discarded, and regrettably cold, clothes.   Jack scowled at the unpleasantly moist t-shirt and jeans.  As Cooper wiggled, grumbling, back into his soggy trousers, he finally spotted the mess he had made on BT, and laughed.

                “Oh man… we’re gonna have to get the hose again!” He commented between chuckles.

                “I suppose we will.”  BT didn’t mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was sooooo self indulgent, but its my early birthday present to myself so there. 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing the sexytimes (*cough* duh *cough*) -from BT's point of view. It was a challenge to give him a sense of sexuality but not forget he's also a(n admittedly sentient) machine. 
> 
> Also: These two assholes derailed my plans AGAIN. I had ZERO intention of making this sentimental, and had planned pretty much just a wet t-shirt competition followed by fast wild sex, but Jack had to get all....all.... lovey dovey n shit. He NEVER cooperates with me. But I love him anyway.
> 
> EDIT 4/22/17: Fixed a metric butt-ton of errors. None of you jerks pointed out that not once, but four times, I had THE WRONG WORD in a sentence and hadn't noticed.


	5. Escape Route

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PG: Jack/BT; Blisk manages to corner BT and Jack in a fight. Things don't go as expected. *SHORT/DRABBLE*

                Jack swore, cringing as another volley of bullets shook them.  The viewscreen tilted, the visual feed becoming misaligned.  “Warning! Systems critical…” BT blurted out the alert even as he staggered. Gone was the friendly relaxed tone he had adopted with Jack, his voice tense and all business now. “Eject.” 

                “Damnit, BT, we can get through this!” Jack hissed, and he poured himself deeper into the link, to the point that he could feel the massive rift in the Titan’s side, the fire blazing out his vents as his power core slowly disintegrated, minutes from going ballistic. If he could just hold on a little longer, they could take the Legion bearing down on them, and he could salvage a battery….

                “Jack, get _out!_ ” BT plead.  “You are going to die if you stay where you are.”  The Legion – _Blisk’s_ _Legion_ bore down on them, striking BT hard with its fist, toppling the smaller Titan. “ _Do not_ make me endure your destruction as well as my own, Jack.” BT moaned the words, even as he collapsed backwards, landing hard.

                “You go, I go.” Jack said stubbornly.  Outside, he could see the wavering outline of the Legion pause, looming over them both. He braced himself, gritting his teeth.  Back on Typhon, Blisk had let him go, but he had no reason to expect the mercenary would do so again.

                “ _NO._ ” BT growled the words straight into Jack’s helmet, even as the cockpit sprung open and he reached into himself, plucking Jack from his seat.  He tossed his Pilot aside, well clear of both titans. Jack tumbled with an outraged howl. BT crawled up onto his knees as Jack scuttled forward, already trying to make it back to him.  _“Stay back, Jack!”_ BT demanded silently. “ _My core is critical, but if I can get close to him as it blows, you’ll be able to escape!_ ” 

                Jack ignored him, eyeing the Legion as he ran back.  Maybe he could steal a battery…

                “Is that our Hero?” The Legion’s cockpit sprung open, and Blisk had emerged to gloat.  Jack darted between the two titans, blocking BT with his body as if he could shield him.

                “Stay _back!_ ” He snapped, tossing a grenade near the Legion’s feet in warning.  It exploded harmlessly where it had landed, but a little further and it wouldn’t have been.  “He’s down, leave him be!”  Jack trembled, knew that his outstretched hands were visibly shaking violently.

                “ _Jack! Run, please!”_ BT was still pleading in his ear, and Jack shoved his helmet off, effectively silencing the Titan.   Jack stared ferociously up at Blisk, dark eyes dangerous and desperate.  Blisk leaned back a little, surprised.

                “Ooh-ho! Are the rumors I’ve heard true, then?”  He smirked dangerously, and Jack recoiled a little. 

                “Jack…” BT groaned, reaching out to him, but Jack stood just out of range. 

                “The Pilot who would die for his Titan, eh?”  Blisk crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head thoughtfully. “Very interesting…”

                “Kuben…” the Legion rumbled the mercenary’s name softly, shifting.  “They are no threat.”

                Blisk snorted softly, and shook his head. He let his arms drop, his posture passive.

                “It’s your lucky day, Hero.” He drawled. “Since I know how ya feel, I’ll do ya a favor.”  
                “Jack, get out of here, it’s a trap…” BT whispered the words.  “I have less than forty-five seconds…”

                “But I can’t just let ya go, eh? So get yer ass over to th’ Titan, an’ I’ll give you the count ‘a ten ta grab ‘is Datacore ‘n scram.  After that, if ya ain’t disappeared, no promises.”  Blisk crossed his arms, and the Legion fell into a passive stance, shouldering its weapon.  Jack cautiously began backing towards BT, never taking his eyes off the mercenary.  When he moved too slowly, Blisk began to count.

                “One,” 

                Jack finally darted the rest of the way to the crumpled figure behind him.

                “BT, just do what he says, get out of there.”

                BT hesitated.

                “Two…”

                “ _Now,_ BT!”  Jack barked, wanting to slap the Titan across the optical casing though he resisted.  BT said nothing, but ejected the Datacore in silence.

                “Oooh, lover’s spat, eh?” Blisk laughed at Jack’s back.  “Yer gonna have a right hard time getting ‘im ta forgive ya for riskin’ yerself like that.” He paused. “Three. Better get goin’, Hero.”

                Jack yanked BT’s Datacore from its socket, spared one last glance at the mercenary and his Titan, and fled into the wilderness.  Behind him, he could hear Blisk call after him.

                “Jus’ remember! Ya _owe_ me, yeah?”   The declaration was punctuated by thundering Gatling fire and a monumental explosion.  BT’s chassis was no more, but the AI – Jack’s friend – was preserved in the Datacore cradled against the Pilot’s heart as he ran. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **BONUS (because I'm suddenly having a lot of fun humanizing Blisk..and this little blurb was actually what inspired the rest):**  
>  Standing at the edge of the ramp, in the shadow of the _Draconis_ , Kuben Blisk stared down into the abyss. Typhon, he had decided, was a particularly detestable place. Sure, the scenery was picturesque, but _why the actual fuck_ was everything so high-up from everything else?! Nearly five kilometers down, the valley floor below them was lost in the haze of atmosphere  
>  “Blisk.”  
> The mercenary refrained from jumping, but his head turned quicker than it ought to, betraying the startle that Slone had given him. She canted her head questioningly, giving him a steely stare. It was unlike Blisk to become distracted enough for anyone, even Slone, to get the drop on him. His lip curled angrily, and he fixed her a hard look. She snorted derisively, and turned away with a shrug. Whatever his problem was, it wasn’t her problem.  
> Kuben watched the woman go, tense.  
>  _If the drop is so disconcerting perhaps standing at the very edge of the platform is inadvisable._ Blisk looked up and over his shoulder at the Legion standing guard nearby. He grumbled, edging away from the steep drop. The thing had a point.  
>  “Eeeh,” He growled. “No need to be a twat about it, eh?” The Titan had the gall to shrug at him.  
>  _I’m not the one, despite being afraid of heights_ , it observed smugly, _actively peering down into an abyssal hole._ Blisk glanced around beadily, making sure no one else was around to see or overhear. _Recommend you embark. For your…security._ Blisk snarled, and spit into the deep angrily, before stomping up to his Titan.  
>  “Twat,” he muttered. The Legion opened up for him, welcoming him despite the spat insult.  
> “Kettle,” the Legion replied.


	6. Rumors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t think it’s anyone’s business except ours.” BT said sternly.

                BT stared over Jack’s head quietly, watching a group of soldiers clustered at the far side of the ramp.  He didn’t need a face to emote with, his steely Titan gaze eventually caught their attention, and the group broke up, scattering.  Jack straightened up from where he’d been crouched to adjust the laces on his boot, and stared up at BT quizzically.

                “BT?”  BT shifted his stance, turning to position himself between Jack and the rest of the busy base.  Jack noticed the defensive posture and frowned.  “What’s up, Buddy?” Jack reached out, resting his hand against one giant leg, sensing the Titan’s agitation.   The Titan still had his attention directed away from Jack, and he was huffing out the occasional vent of hot air grumpily.   Jack scratched at the armor under his hand lightly, tapping on BT’s shin to draw his attention. BT’s optical array swiveled down to point his bright azure gaze Jack’s way. Jack tilted his head to one side, waiting for BT to fill him in.

                “It would appear we have become the subject of the latest rumor mill.” BT stated flatly, stomping the foot furthest from Jack slightly.  “That we are unnaturally close, even by Pilot/Titan team standards.”  Jack sighed, buffing his knuckles over BT’s armor affectionately, trying to turn his bitter smile into something friendlier for BT.

                “And what do you think about it?” Jack asked.  BT pulled back a little, surprised by the question.  He remained silent, staring down at Jack.  When no immediate response was forthcoming, Jack added, “Because I don’t care what they think. I care what you think.”  BT blinked at him, and crouched down to look him in the eye.

                “I don’t think it’s anyone’s business except ours.” BT said sternly. “But if it was, I would argue that you and I bonded through extraordinary circumstances, and therefore it seems only logical that an extraordinary bond has been formed.” BT reached out, gently scooping his palm against Jack’s shoulders and ushering him closer. “Defining what ‘extraordinary’ entails is for us to decide, not our fellows of the Militia.” Jack’s smile softened into a much more honest expression, and he leaned back into BT’s palm, trusting the Titan to support him.

                “I agree.”  Jack said.  BT rumbled softly, pleased with his reply.  “Can I ask… was it like this…for you, with Lastimosa?”  Jack was hesitant, unsure he wanted the answer.   His interactions with BT felt so unique, so intimate, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know if it was more common than he imagined.  On the other hand, if it was…did BT miss his former pilot?

                “No.” BT said plainly.  “Not like…this.  Captain Lastimosa was an excellent, profoundly talented pilot, and he treated me kindly as a friend would. However…” He trailed off.

                “BT?”  Jack’s smile faded as the Titan stopped speaking, but didn’t startle when he was lifted suddenly.  BT opened his cockpit and placed Jack inside carefully.  Closing the hatch, BT’s voice surrounded Jack in a low, serene rumble. 

                “You have become precious to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short drabble I did a while back. <3


	7. In Memorandum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PG/ Gen: BT and Jack have a heart-to-heart of sorts.

     Jack hadn’t know the Titan for more than eight hours, but as they took shelter in the forests of Typhon for the night, he couldn’t help but think that BT-7274 looked…depressed.  
     What even made Jack think this, the Former Rifleman couldn’t say. Nothing had physically changed, and it’s not like the Titan was standing there with a downtrodden face – or any face at all- and he had certainly not said or done anything that seemed out of character.          Not that Jack was certain he would be able to identify what was or wasn’t in character of someone whom he’d only known for half a day anyway.  
     And who was he, to assume he knew BT at all? Who was he to make believe a machine could feel? A sort of guilt seeped into Jack. He was probably just projecting his own feelings on the Titan; imagining weakness in something so strong, so that he could come to terms with his own pain. It had been a hard day filled with loss, terror, and violence. Jack didn't think highly enough of himself to believe he could come out of a day like that emotionally unscathed.   
     “BT?” The name tumbled from Jack’s lips before he could stop himself. Slowly, that cylindrical sensor array swiveled his direction, and BT blinked sedately at him in silent acknowledgement. “You okay?” Jack asked, already feeling stupid. Of course BT was okay. What else would he be? Still, that strange niggling sense of detached sadness remained, and Jack felt unstoppably compelled to press forward on the matter.  
     BT stared at him in silence long enough that Jack thought he wasn’t even going to answer him. At last, the Titan blinked, tilting his head – for lack of a better description, Jack thought – pensively.  
     “All systems are within normal functioning parameters,” BT said. “I have sustained minimal damage in battle, and all primary components are accounted for.”  
     Jack sighed. Of course he should have expected that kind of answer. He looked away and fought down the strange clenching sensation in his chest and the weirdly distant feeling like needing to cry.   
     “Good to hear, Buddy,” he said. “It was a rough day…” he added, hoping to cover his blunder just a little. He rubbed at his face, suddenly tired.  
     “However…” BT started again, and Jack dropped his hands away from his face as he listened. “I suspect that you are not inquiring into my physical well-being.” Jack held in his groan, and scrubbed at his suddenly stinging eyes again. Why was he so moody all of the sudden? He heard BT shift, shuffling a fraction of a step closer to Jack, and turned back to stare up at the Titan. BT’s optic was dim, the lens shuttered halfway, and damn it all but Jack swore he looked sad.  
     “I am not built to experience heartache,” BT said quietly once he had Jack’s full attention again, “let alone possess a heart at all – or anything like it.”   
     Jack let slip a long sigh, sagging somewhat. He thought he might be suffering enough heartache for both of them. He sniffed, hugging himself.  
A little wash of warmth, like a blanket, seemed to fall over Jack’s shoulders, and the fledgling Pilot realized what was happening.  
    _The Neural Link_ … He gazed back up at BT, hardly daring to breathe as he realized where all the extra emotions he seemed to be experiencing might be coming from. BT’s optic seemed to brighten somewhat in turn as he refocused on Jack.  
     “Pilot,” BT interrupted the stretching silence once more. “This is by no means an ill reflection on you, but…” The Titan paused again, seeming to hesitate. His optical shutters narrowed again, the aperture tightening as he seemed to gauge Jack critically for a moment. He must have seen what he was looking for because he straightened up, his demeanor opening once more. “I miss Captain Lastimosa terribly.” BT sagged on his struts just a little, lowering his hulking chassis down several inches.     “So…no, I am not ‘okay’.” Though his voice didn’t audibly change, BT seemed to moan the words, his body sagging further. Now that Jack knew what to look for, he could feel the sense of lonesomeness and vulnerability radiating through the Link. Though Jack definitely had similar feelings of his own, these other notions he observed were definitely not his. Jack swallowed. This… was not what he had heard about the Titans. He looked up at the enormous machine, suddenly seeing BT as if he were an entirely different… person.  
     “I’m sorry.” Jack said earnestly. “I miss him too,” he added quietly.  
“As men of war go,” BT said softly, “the Captain was uncommonly gentle. And kind-hearted. He didn’t…” The Titan trailed off.  
    “BT?” Jack edged forward until he was within arms’ reach, cautiously pressing his palm to the side of BT’s massive knee in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. BT stooped to look down at him, and blinked sadly once more.  
     “I had hoped to do better,” BT admitted softly. “It is strictly against my programming to lose a Pilot, but I believe no-one wishes to see someone they care for perish.” Jack sucked in a sharp breath against the Titan’s guilt, and watched the inner rings of BT’s optic whirl rapidly as the optical array focused in on him further. “I promise you, Jack Cooper,” BT went on, his voice firm, “that I will not make the same blunder twice.” He crouched down low until he was on level with Jack, optic blazing. Jack stared back, wide-eyed and pinned by that burning gaze, and the promise made. “I need your help to complete our mission, but I will get you home safely.”   
Jack swallowed and nodded mutely, speechless.  
     “Yeah,” he said at last, still nodding, his eyes burning with the blue light boring into him. “I know you will.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get back into a more canonical characterization of BT after how far afield I've taken him in Mortal Prison <3


End file.
